Your vote is your voice

The Catholic community is free and “duty bound” to vote in today’s General Elections, says the Archdiocesan Family Life Commission (AFLC).

The AFLC’s mental health clinician Crystal Johnson told viewers during a Topic Thursdays’ segment that the “most crucial” question is not who is going to win at the upcoming elections, but who is going to show up to vote.

“I don’t know if over the years people have been educated on what your vote means,” she questioned.

Your vote, Johnson asserted is your “voice”; and your voice plays an integral contribution to the life citizens want to live. Voting, she said, is an act of faith.

“Also, voting builds up your civic muscle, reminding us that we are public servants to our brothers and sisters,” Johnson said.

She reminded viewers that their ability to vote was made possible by the “many men and women before us who fought with their lives against things like racism, classism, sexism and so forth”.

Hence, the opportunity to make necessary steps towards a better T&T should not be taken for granted.

“We still have the opportunity to vote to remind our politicians who they really serve which is us. We also want to vote as a positive act. We need to lead by example with our vote,” Johnson added.

“And all of us are called to rise above the examples presented to us. It is always the courage and ability of God’s people to allow democracy to prevail,” she said.

As citizens go to the polls, Johnson also suggested persons do research on their choice of candidates in order to make a “confident” decision.

She warned “Don’t just vote based on what your family has voted for, for years and what our tribe has done and [continue] the legacy of this is what we do.”

Johnson urged all to say a prayer for their decision and reflect and pray for the hope that they may have in the election candidates. —KJ